Glock 20, 21, 29, 30 and 40: the 10mm and .45 lineup

Glock builds its 10mm and .45 ACP pistols on a wider large frame, and they are the models people buy for hunting, for bear country and for a bigger bullet at the range. There are eight of them, two frame sizes and one single-stack, and the model numbers tell you nothing. This guide sorts the lineup, gives the figures, and says which one fits which job.

The 10mm pistols

• Glock 20: the full-size 10mm, 4.61 inch barrel, 15-round magazine, about 30.7 ounces. Sold in Gen 4 and, since 2023, Gen 5 and Gen 5 MOS. The standard hunting and bear-country Glock.
• Glock 29: the subcompact 10mm, 3.78 inch barrel, 10-round magazine, about 27 ounces. Takes 20 magazines as spares. A lot of cartridge in a short grip.
• Glock 40 MOS: the long-slide 10mm, 6.02 inch barrel, 15-round magazine, about 35 ounces, cut for an optic from the factory. Built for hunting with a dot.

The .45 ACP pistols

• Glock 21: the full-size .45, 4.61 inch barrel, 13-round magazine, about 29 ounces. Gen 4 and, since 2023, Gen 5 and Gen 5 MOS.
• Glock 30: the subcompact .45, 3.78 inch barrel, 10-round magazine, about 26.5 ounces. Takes 21 magazines.
• Glock 30S: the 30's frame with a slimmer 36-pattern slide, lighter and easier to carry.
• Glock 36: the single-stack .45, 3.78 inch barrel, 6-round magazine, about 22.5 ounces and noticeably thinner; its magazines fit nothing else.
• Glock 41: the long-slide .45, 5.31 inch barrel, 13-round magazine, MOS available. A competition and duty pistol.

Figures are Glock's published specifications; check the product page for the exact pistol and generation.

The frame

The large frame is wider and longer in trigger reach than the standard 9mm frame, which is the first thing to try before buying. Shooters with large hands find it fills the palm well; shooters with small hands often find the 20 and 21 a stretch and do better with the Gen 4 or Gen 5 versions and no backstrap, or with the 30S and 36. The 29 and 30 share the subcompact large frame and a short grip that benefits from a pinky extension.

10mm or .45

The 10mm is the more powerful cartridge by a wide margin: a 180 grain bullet at 1,200 feet per second or more from full-power loads, against 230 grains at 850 for .45 ACP. It shoots flatter, hits harder and is the choice for hunting and for bears. The trade is recoil, which is stout in the 20 and sharp in the 29, and the fact that much commercial 10mm is loaded down to near .40 S&W levels; read the box. The .45 is a softer, slower push, easier for most shooters to control, subsonic by default, and the classic large bore for defense. Ammunition costs are similar and both are more than 9mm.

Hunting

The 20 and 40 MOS are legal deer handguns in most states that allow handgun hunting and are common hog pistols in the South. Full-power 10mm with a hard-cast or bonded bullet is the load; a red dot on the 40 MOS or a 20 Gen 5 MOS makes 50-yard shots practical. Barrel length minimums and caliber floors vary by state, so check the regulations. The .45 pistols are less common afield but legal for deer in many states with the right bullet.

Bear country

The 20 is the most common semi-automatic bear pistol in the Rockies and Alaska: 15 rounds of heavy 10mm in a pistol that runs wet and cold. Load hard-cast bullets from a maker who publishes velocity, carry it in a chest holster over the pack straps, and practice with it, because it is a hard-recoiling pistol under stress. The 29 is the same idea in a shorter package that more people carry and fewer people shoot well.

Defense and carry

The 21 is a fine home-defense pistol for a shooter who likes the .45 and has the hand for the frame. The 30 and 30S are the carry choices, and the 36 is the one to buy if thickness is the problem. A 10mm for carry is a stout choice; the 29 does it, and standard-pressure loads make it manageable.

Recoil springs and ammunition

The large-frame pistols ship with heavier recoil assemblies than the 9mm models and are tuned for full-power ammunition; light target loads may not lock the slide back, which is a spring question rather than a fault. Buyers who shoot mostly light 10mm can fit a lighter aftermarket spring; buyers who shoot heavy hunting loads keep the factory one. Both cartridges are more expensive than 9mm to practice with, and the conversion barrel below is the usual answer.

Magazines and conversion

The 20 magazine fits the 29 and 40; the 21 magazine fits the 30 and 41; the 36 stands alone. A .40 S&W conversion barrel lets a 20 shoot cheaper .40 with .40 magazines for practice. Standard-capacity 10mm and .45 magazines are under most state caps, so they ship almost everywhere.

Which to buy

• Hunting with a dot: Glock 40 MOS or 20 Gen 5 MOS.
• Bear country, backpack, all weather: Glock 20.
• Home defense in .45: Glock 21.
• Carry in .45: Glock 30S, or the 36 for the thinnest.
• Competition in .45: Glock 41.

Every large-frame pistol ships to a licensed dealer near you; the process is in buying a Glock online, and the optic question in the MOS guide. Browse 10mm and .45 ACP Glocks.

General information, not legal advice. Current as of September 2026. Laws change; check the official source before you act.